Unbelievable!!!
China seems to get bigger by the hour huh.I was wondering since you know the numbers better than most.Is there still such a great need for production of this magnitude ? Don't get me wrong, it is really nice that cheap instruments exist and beginners can get their entry guitar easily at every part of the world but from an eco friendly side is there any kind of "recycle'.

I'm in a subway train on my way back home after a day meeting with a business associate and friend in the now-world-famous Gangnam district of Seoul. Yes, most of what you saw on the most-viewed YT video of all-time is true. It's an amazingly swanky place.

Anyway, regarding your question if production of such a magnitude is necessary, yes, if there is demand then that demand will be filled by somebody. This factory produces nearly one million guitars per year but that's still a small amount in the big scheme of things. Samsung produces more phones per day than what this factory produces in a year. It's all relative.

Also, guitars are almost never thrown away while most phones get discarded and replaced in a few years. The used guitar market might be bigger than the market for new guitars. Most dealers make more money buying and selling used guitars than new ones. Selling guitars is a pretty rotten business to get into. I'm sure not in it for the money.

I get what you're saying about the environmental concerns but there are international laws in place to make sure endangered wood species are not being used. China has gotten extremely strict in regards to environmental laws - in some ways even more strict than in the US. That may be hard to believe but they know when enough is enough. The citizens can't tolerate the pollution anymore. They do have to think about the future like anyone else. Their own long-term survival depends on it.

Regimes just want to survive and that means they need to provide stability for the people. It is estimated that the rise of average temperature by one degree Fahrenheit will reduce the food production by 10%. The way things are going in China, food production could face a hit of nearly 40% by year 2025. That's a recipe for social anarchy and a total collapse of the regime in power. The authoritarian Chinese government sees this. They're not stupid. They understand how fragile power is. Heck, they spend more of their annual national budget on "internal security" than on the military. Their greatest threat is internal, not external.

Anyway, the guitar industry itself is too small to make a dent. Still, the environmental laws are certainly in place for even these low-end factories to only use certified woods to build guitars that sell for $100 or less. I saw a lot of this earlier this week working with the GC staff and their suppliers. A lot of the discussion was about compliance to both local and international environmental and labor laws. After the tremendous grief that Apple went through with all that happened at Foxconn, everyone else took notice. Compliance is now a MAJOR deal at all of these factories and it's been a positive development to observe in China. Thanks, Apple! You took it on the chin for the rest of us. _________________Ed Yoon
Certified Guthrie Fan-atic
BOING Music LLC - Managing Partner
.strandberg* Guitars USA
Ed Yoon Consulting & Management
Guitar Center Inc.

Well, since I don't want to be banned, here are some "scenery" pics from Gangnam in Seoul where I hung out with some relatives and an industry friend who has a major guitar importation and distribution business here. This is the really swanky area of Gangnam called Cheongdamdong.

So this is 'Gangnam' (which means south of the Han River that intersects Seoul) and I lived here from 1978 to 1981 during parts of my middle school and high school years.

I met with a friend for some business talks at a swanky health development place in Gangnam where Saudi royals and Hollywood stars come for "treatments". Annual membership at this "club" is US$200,000. You get the idea.

A few pics of the coffee shop/bakery where I met with my friend to discuss business while sipping fine expensive coffee:

And, last but not least, a shot of a few 'Gangnam Style' girls nearby who got my attention.

Love it here in Seoul: the best Wi-Fi (by far the fastest and most reliable Internet connections in the world - well, this is a Samsung-ruled nation, after all... ), the best food, and the best girls. _________________Ed Yoon
Certified Guthrie Fan-atic
BOING Music LLC - Managing Partner
.strandberg* Guitars USA
Ed Yoon Consulting & Management
Guitar Center Inc.